Animal Care Assistant (3246)

A bit about us

Do you want to help create a better world for animals?

At the RSPCA, we believe animal welfare is everyone's welfare. Join us in creating a better world for every animal. We can do it if we work together — everyone for every animal. Choose a career with us and make a difference.

We are looking for a new team member to join us as an Animal Care Assistant.

Working hours: 15 hours per week - Every Saturday & Sunday.
Location: West Hatch Animal Centre

It's important to us that you feel part of our team from the start. We like to keep in touch with regular check-ins and team meetings. There's always a teammate around for support or a quick chat.

Are you ready to join our movement?

Our recruitment journey – key dates for you to note

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, just let us know - we're happy to support you.

We think this role is going to be popular and are expecting to attract high interest, so we strongly encourage early applications to avoid missing out. The deadline for applications will be 18th June 2026

What a day might look like for you

As an Animal Care Assistant, you'll be at the heart of our mission helping rescued animals recover, rebuild trust and find their forever homes.

Your day will include:

You'll start your day cleaning by the enclosures of our intakes, ranging from dogs, cats, rabbits and other small domestic species, as well as feeding, watering, grooming and exercising them.
You'll ensure the highest standards of welfare, and will monitor and report on animal behaviour, wellbeing and health.
You will also administer medication or treatment prescribed by a Vet and implement behaviour modification programmes with guidance from our Behaviour and Welfare Advisors and the wider team.
Working with adopters to match animals to the right homes, and offering post-adoption support.

No two days are the same, it's hands-on, rewarding and sometimes tough, but always worth it!

What will help you succeed in this role:

Essential

Experience working with animals, particularly dogs, in a professional or voluntary capacity (not as a pet owner). We are particularly interested in hearing from you if you have experience of working in a similar setting.
Resilience - some of our animals have been through trauma, and need patience and compassion.
Practicality - you'll be outdoors in all weathers, mucking in as part of the team.
Communication skills - working with colleagues, volunteers and the public is a big part of the role.
Adaptability - animal care can be unpredictable, so you'll need to stay calm under pressure
IT confidence - you'll use digital records to track each animal's journey.
Transport - We are located in a rural area with limited public transport. It is therefore important you have your own means of transport to travel to and from work.

Desirable:

Animal care qualifications.
Driving licence.
Handling of challenging dogs.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK as we are unable to sponsor visas.

Final note from us & good luck with your application!

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed to our purpose. For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family!

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.

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